Canon ELPH 500 HS vs Ricoh WG-4

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Canon ELPH 500 HS and Ricoh WG-4, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Waterproof by brands Canon and Ricoh. There is a sizeable difference among the image resolutions of the ELPH 500 HS (12MP) and WG-4 (16MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor size (1/2.3").

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The ELPH 500 HS was released 4 years before the WG-4 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the ELPH 500 HS matches up versus the WG-4 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon ELPH 500 HS and Ricoh WG-4. The complete galleries are provided at Canon ELPH 500 HS Gallery and Ricoh WG-4 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Canon ELPH 500 HS provides outside dimensions of 101mm x 56mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs) while the Ricoh WG-4 has measurements of 124mm x 64mm x 33mm (4.9" x 2.5" x 1.3") along with a weight of 230 grams (0.51 lbs).

Contrast the Canon ELPH 500 HS and Ricoh WG-4 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the ELPH 500 HS and the WG-4.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the ELPH 500 HS and WG-4 is 94 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes simply by researching technical specs. The picture below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the ELPH 500 HS and WG-4.

As you have seen, both the cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You should count on the Ricoh WG-4 to render more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more aged ELPH 500 HS will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.